Moldovan cuisine is thought to have a great influence on the traditional food of the other people residing in the territory.

We should also keep in mind that some elements have been incorporated from Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Ukrainian and Russian cuisine and the Greek and urkish food. mamaliga, a thick, sticky maize pie served !ith brinza. "part from this there is also ocana #pork ste!$ !hich can be tried !ith s!eet%and%sour !atermelons and apples.

Traditional Moldovan Food is delicious. &t's based on meat, fish, vegetables, cereals, and cheese. (enturies ago, the traditional food !as influenced by Greek #!hen the Greeks used to have colonies near )istru, *anube river and the Black sea$ and urkish cuisines. he food later incorporated elements from Russian, Ukrainian, Gagauzian, and Bulgarian cuisines. When you are in Moldova, don't miss the maize served !ith fried meat, sour cream and Moldovan cheese called brinza, !hich is made of sheep milk. Usually brinza is salty, but not al!ays. Moldovans love it. +ou may also !ant to try sarmale !hich is made of rice, meat and vegetables rolled in cabbage leaves. "nother traditional and very popular dish, made especially during the holidays, is Placinte, !hich are pies usually stuffed !ith cheese #brinza$, potatoes, cabbage or apples. Moldovans cook a lot of meat, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, duck, goose. he meat is fried, baked, or grilled. +ou may also try the meatballs. Because Moldova is multiethnic, the food may be different depending on the region !ith a touch of Moldovan, Ukrainian, Gagauzian, Bulgarian, or Russian cuisine. he best food you can try in Moldova is homemade food, especially in the villages !here the traditions are best preserved. "nd, most importantly, don't miss the Moldovan wine. he !ine produced on this land !as famous for centuries for its rich taste, all thanks to the climate, soil, and the !ay people make it. Moldovans have a special attitude to!ards !ine, much more so in the villages. hey drink a glass of !ine !ith every meal, e-cept breakfast. .ractically every family in the villages gro! their o!n grapes and produce !ine at home. &n the fall, !hen the !ine%making season begins, you may be called to try and comment on the !ine if you happen to be !alking by. Moldovan wine factories are real tourist destinations !ith underground tunnels and amazing wine cellars. here, you could try remarkable wines that have won multiple international awards.

he traditional Moldavian food is the !ealth of the nation, directly connected to the level of civilization and cultural heritage of contemporaries. (ontemplations on the level of the population's socio%economic development, economic character, cultural traditions, and established norms must be based on careful research. Referring to the historical evolution of our nation's cuisine, let's note that its origins take beginning from the ancient times/ also the fact that every era brings its o!n features #talking not 0ust about the food products$, each generation adds something ne!, and every family perceives traditions and innovations in its o!n !ay, should not be overlooked. 1ood is like a thread that links the past and the present. hereby !e note that after going through the centuries old rules of cooking and consuming food have become the foundation of modern cooking. he study of ancient authors and the results of archaeological researches have allo!ed us to learn about food and cooking recipes that came to us from the era of the Getae and *acians. he Geto%*acians !ere sedentary tribes/ for centuries they had eaten mostly plant foods and animal products, ground cooked grains, millet porridge !ith milk, boiled meat. "lso *acians ate !ild edible plants, such as mushrooms, garlic, 2uinoa, sorrel and others. hey fished as !ell. 3ome foods #onions, lentils, beans, olives$ they bought from Greek merchants. he *acian food !as simple to cook/ preference !as given to the meat barbecued on the gratar 4 an evidence that has survived till our days. hey cooked dairy dishes, various grades of sheep cheese #smoked, dried$, s!eet goat cheese, and lo!er 2uality cheese #Urda$. 5ur ancestors have e-changed food products !ith the inhabitants of neighboring countries, yet they did not use the eastern spices. he *acians' diet, at that point of time formed under the influence of Greek culinary traditions, !as gradually supplemented !ith food products and methods of cooking meals that !ere to the *acians' liking. *uring the Middle "ges important ne! elements entered the Moldavian national food at the landlords', boyars' and the landed knights feast. *uring this period, traditional food developed !ithout foreign influence, !hich sho!s a continuous evolution of the national cuisine. raditions of the medieval Moldavian cuisine continued to develop in the follo!ing centuries. he usual !ays of cooking food, !hich came from the Middle "ges #the preparation of bread, sheep6s cheese, dried fruits, vegetables, beverages, !ine and mead$, serve as the evidence of this. 7veryone !ho stopped by !ith a visit !as treated !ith s!eet goat cheese. his custom is preserved for centuries and is considered one of the best traditions of our ancestors' hospitality passed on to us, the Moldavians. 1rom the numerous stories of the 89&& century's foreign travelers, !e learn about the lu-ury and splendor of the landlords' hospitality. *ue to trade relations !ith the 5ttoman 7mpire in the 89&&& century, certain oriental influences in the food have been marked. 1oreign landlords brought their cooks !ho prepared and promoted ne! dishes, and some of them penetrated the Moldavian cuisine #fruit !ith meat, moussaka, pilaf, etc.$. &t should be mentioned that national Moldavian food from the very ancient times preserved the rich variety of dishes, continuing the natural process of historical evolution. 5ur cuisine features a variety of dishes, the creativity, the minimum of seasonings, and reflects the age%old traditions and the mentality of the nation.

:istorically a peasant food, it !as often used as a substitute for bread or even as a staple food in the poor rural areas. :o!ever, in the last decades it has emerged as an upscale dish available in the finest restaurants. "nother very popular Romanian dish based on mmlig is called bulz, and consists of mmlig !ith cheese and butter and roasted in the oven.

&n the process of society's development the relationships bet!een the generations have changed/ many old customs are preserved !hile others have disappeared, and some of them have changed their contents. "mong the ancient traditions that proved viable there are customs and traditions deeply rooted in the history and culture of the nation. raditional cuisine is tightly connected !ith the particular !ay of life, culture, profession and employment. &t is one of the important cultural areas, !hich embody all distinctive features of the nation. "s a rule, national cuisine traditions represent nation more than anything else, in the first place due to the ethnic continuity. "t the same time, the cuisine is susceptible to changes and emerging innovations. *espite this, the national cuisine is less prone to standardization. &t usually reflects the traditional tastes that have been formed for many generations, but no less important is the fact that an intensive process of mutual enrichment of cultures takes place here as !ell, !ith today's catering contributing significantly to it. &n the national cuisine, a certain link e-plaining the past through the present can be traced bet!een the e-periences of people living in different times can be traced. "t the same time, it should be noted that every era brings ne! types of food products, as !ell as e-perience, and vintage elements become intert!ined !ith innovation. &n contrast to other elements of material culture, the borro!ings do not infringe on national cuisine, but on the contrary, they are assimilated and enrich it. he Moldavian rich economic and trade relations have increased the diversity of food products and contributed to the emergence of innovations in cooking/ this !as largely due to the influence of 7uropean and 5riental cuisine. hanks to trade relations !ith the 5ttoman 7mpire back in the 89&&& century, a certain influence of 7astern cuisine !as evident in our ancestors' nutrition. Many 7astern dishes came into sight during the reign of the .hanariotes !ho brought personal chefs !ith them. his e-plains the presence in our cuisine specific eastern dishes, such as rice, moussaka, chigir, meat !ith fruit, baklava, etc. he traditional Moldavian cuisine also adopted and assimilated some national dishes that are typical of other nations, borscht from Russian cuisine, some salads from the east, steak from "ustrian cuisine, scallop, mayonnaise, and souffl;s from the 1rench, etc. "ll these influences are particularly visible in the catering and, to a lesser e-tent, in traditional cooking. he Moldavians al!ays managed to borro! from foreign cuisines only the most delicious and best recipes, adapting them to their liking, !hile maintaining the characteristics of their national cuisine.

&n the nutrition culture of Moldova there are regional differences, depending on the demographic structure of the population, natural environment and employment of rural residents. "s for the south of the country, here !e find traces of ethnic minorities' cooking traditions influence #lamb dishes, fish, vegetables, !ine, etc.$, !hile dishes of pork, poultry, fruit, vodka and, to a lesser degree, !ine prevail in the north. " number of crafts are associated !ith traditional cuisine, food processing, cooking dishes, bre!ing drinks, etc. "mong the traditional Moldavian dishes are pastrami, ham, sausage, pies, ritual loaves of various shapes, different cheeses and feta, vegetable ste!, hominy in various combinations !ith meat and vegetables, a variety of cabbage rolls, vertuty #rolls$, chicken soup !ith homemade noodles % zama, beans !ith ribs or bacon, meat !ith sauerkraut #bigos,$ cutlets, special sauce called tokana, cookies and s!eets etc. " !ide variety of methods of cooking tasty and healthy food is kno!n today. Modern technologies for long%term storage of products #sterilization, freezing, drying, etc.$ have been developed. hanks to these ne! technologies, the diet became enriched !ith frozen meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc., allo!ing more variety throughout the year. &n order to preserve the traditional Moldavian dishes in the catering menus, a special support and promotion among the consumers, particularly among young people is needed. 5f the utmost importance is the necessity to convey to the public the value of traditional recipes in terms of health and environment. *ue to the industrialization and globalization of food products, there is a danger that traditional cuisine !ill keep going into oblivion. 5ne of the reasons is the lack of appropriate education about nutrition among young people. "t the same time, there is a gro!ing trend of increasing interest in the ethnic cuisine. &n this regard, special attention should be given to nation's specifics of nutrition, to our cuisine's age% old traditions as a cultural phenomenon, to our heritage's research, and to the development of rural tourism.

Gratie conditiilor climaterice, Moldova este o regiune unde creste o diversitate uimitoare de legume si fructe. E firesc in aceste conditii sa fie exploatate calitatile acestor produse in bucatoria autohtona. Totodata, asupra bucatelor traditionale o influenta deosebit de mare a avut istoria acestui popor, situat la raspantia catorva civilizatii si in imediata apropiere a celor mai importante cai comerciale. Cultura elena si bizantina a fost conservata pe aceste meleaguri, amestecata cu success cu cultura rusa in sec X X si apoi in X! X X, si dezvoltata in peste "#$ de ani de independenta %"&'()"'&#*. +stfel in bucataria moldoveneasca au a,uns mancarurile grecesti %placintele, invartitele* si tehnologiile caracteristice zonei mediteraniene, cum ar fi utilizarea vinului sec in bucatele din legume si carne, sosurile picante cu multe mirodenii si metode deosebite de pregatire a aluatului. - influenta deosebita asupra dezvoltarii bucatariei moldovenesti au avut turcii, care au dominat in Moldova peste &$$ de ani. mpactul turcesc se face simtit in prepararea combinata a produselor, in tendinta de a utiliza carne de oi si in denumirile bucatelor. ghiveci, musaca, ciorba. /e altfel si rusii au lasat o amprenta vizibila in muratul legumelor si copturi.

Totodata, bucataria moldoveneasca a capatat in timp integritate si originalitate, iar multitudinea culturilor au evoluat finalmente intr)un gust specific format din cele mai neasteptate si mai delicate combinatii gastronomice. 0pre exemplu, pentru bucataria moldoveneasca este caracteristica folosirea masiva a branzei si a porumbului. 1ranza este una dintre tipurile de cascaval de oi, care necesita pentru pregatire un timp redus o saptamana sau zece zile. +ceasta mancare vine din cele mai vechi timpuri si se datoreaza dezvoltarii oieritului in zona. 1ranza este folosita nu numai in stare bruta, dar si in calitate de adaos in mai multe mancaruri din legume, oua, carne si patiserie. Comparativ cu branza, porumbul a devenit caracteristic bucatoriei moldovenesti relativ recent, cu numai 2$$ de ani in urma. +cest produs a fost adus in Moldova in sec X! si a inceput sa fie cultivat in masa in X! , fiind in special mancarea saracilor. !estite sunt mamaliga, porumbul in zama si garniruri, porumb fiert si copt. /e asemenea, in Moldova traditional painea din faina de porumb este preferata celei din faina de grau. 3n rol aparte in bucataria moldoveneasca il au legumele. /in ele sunt pregatite feluri de mancare intregi si garnituri. Cel mai des legumele sunt fierte, coapte, implute, inabusite, murate, mai rar pra,ite. Traditionale sunt mancarurile din fasole, rosii, gogosari, ardei gras, dovleceii. 1oboasele sunt adesea utilizate in forma de terci, batut cu ceapa si ulei. +lte legume, in deosebi ardeiul, dovleceii si gogosarii sunt impluti cu alte legume, orez si carne. +desea legumele sunt servite cu sosuri, marinade si alte produse aditionale din vin, smantana, mirodenii si legume picante. /in acestea sunt preparate, la foc moale, cu grasimi animalice si mirodenii, giveciuri, in care de obicei se adauga branza si smantana. 4arzavaturile populare sunt pra,ul, mancat combinat sau fara alte produse. /in mirodenii des este folosit piperul negru si boabe, frunza de laur, estragonul. 5opular este usturoiul, care este drept baza sosurilor populare moldovenesti) mu,dei si scordol, servite la mancarurile din carne, legume. n trecut usturoiul se considera un remediu natural pentru tratarea racelei. 1ucataria moldoveneasca este foarte toleranta, cum am remarcat de,a, fata de obiceiurile culinare ale vecinilor. +cest lucru poate fi usor urmarit in prepararea carnii. Moldovenii folosesc in egala masura carnea de oi % in ciorba, ghiveci, musaca*, si porcina %in carnatei, costita*, vita %in mititei*, si pasarile %in zama*. 5refera totusi carnea tanara de pui, miei, vitei. 6a carne neaparat sunt servite legume in cantitati modeste, si fructe) vita cu gutui, curcanul cu caise. Caracteristica este combinarea carnii cu diverse sosuri cu vin sec si suc de tomate. +cestea fac carnea frageda si picanta, ceea ce este un lucru comun pentru bucataria tuturor popoarelor romanice. 5entru prepararea mancarurilor traditionale din carne este des folosit gratarul. +cesta in prealabil este uns cu ulei, grasime, slanina. Carnea este pra,ita fie bucati mari, fie taiata si tocata %drob, mititei, carnatei*. 5entru carne inabusita este folosit cuptorul si nu focul obisnuit. /escrierea bucatariei molovenesti nu ar fi relevanta fara mentionarea patiseriei. placinte, pasca, cozonacul, coltunasii, etc. +ici sunt pe larg utilizate nucile. Cate bordeie atatea obiceie , spune o zicala moldoveneasca veche, in cazul respectiv 7cate gospodine atatea feluri8. Gospodarii aleg la fiecare mancare bautura potrivita. !inurile moldovenesti sunt cunoscute

in intreaga lume gratie gustului delicat si aromei. Clima de aici favorizeaza producerii unui spectru lard de vinuri de la albe pana la rosii, de la seci pana la demiseci si dulce, de la tulburel pana la limpezime clasica. !inurile de colectie au devenit cartea de vizita a Moldovei. 1ucataria moldoveneasca, gratie gamei bogate de legume si fructe este clasificata ca una dintre cele mai gustoase si sanatoase din lume si nu atat pentru numarul mare de bucate cat pentru multitudinea nuantelor gastronomice obtinute prin combinarea reusita a produselor.